Way Back When
by Catnipisnotonfire12
Summary: Spoilers for all seasons of twdg. Starts from ending where Clem ends up alone with AJ. Way back when, they used to be a massive group. Way back when, Clementine had the cabin crew. She had Lee. She was innocent and had her family. This wasn't way back when, this was the future, and Clementine had to keep pushing. For who, she didn't know. Not anymore.
1. Way back when

**Way back when**

**Spoilers for all seasons of twdg. Starts from ending where Clem ends up alone with AJ. Clementine sometimes wished she could go back in time. But really, when she thought about it, how far would she go? Back when all the cabin group was jalive? She was with Christa and Omid? Lee? Her parents? Before the apocalypse even happened? It was stupid. All she knew is that the past was the past, and she and AJ had to keep moving forward. Why or for who, she didn't know. The list of dead was too long to dedicate anymore.**

"I can't forgive you, Jane," Clementine whispered tearfully. It had only been a couple of days ago, but long enough for Clem to traipse across the country far enough to be away from the snow. AJ crying in her arms, she felt stupid. Sure, what Jane had done was awful, but it wasn't about niceties or likeableness anymore. It was about survival. Maybe Clem and AJ weren't around her bitterness now, but they still needed food and water and - for AJ - baby formula. The only thing that stopped Clem from turning back and heading for Howes; hoping that Jane and food would be there, was the fact that survival was useless without people she could trust. Right now, the only living people she could trust were herself and AJ and Christa, providing she was actually living, and Clem would see her again.

W

Stood atop a grassy hill, Clem shivered as she noticed the small herd of walkers before her.

Looking down at AJ, she whispered, "well, I can't take them all, can I? Can't leave you on the floor alone." She pulled a face at him, making him smile and a giggle escape from his lips. "No, Alvie, ssh. If I can't take 'em, we gotta go through them, and we're both going to get eaten if you make a noise, okay?" When Alvin Junior said nothing, Clementine sighed and quickly lowered him to the ground. "Okay, I guess,"

She took out her hatchet and screwdriver. Stabbing a walker that was straying near her and AJ in the back of the neck, she cut it open and smeared the guts over herself, then on AJ.

"I'm sorry buddy," she whispered. "Growing up to know this is gonna suck. I bet it's gotta be better - not knowing any other way - than knowing first hand how awesome things used to be." Clementine stalked forward quietly, eyes flickering between AJ - "please don't cry Alvie," - and the path ahead.

It took a while, but by nightfall Clem had found a little mesh of wiring and wood that probably used to be an old Hen coop with a wooden box-type think for AJ to sleep in. She took some leaves and bustled them underneath him.

"Not the comfiest thing in the world, but it's better than nothing." She sighed. Alvie said nothing. "Are you cold? If you're cold I'll give you my jacket. I suppose I can bundle you up in it. Just, like, cry if you're cold." Clem stammered, realising that not only could AJ not understand her, but he'd also cry if he needed changing or was hungry. It was useless. An eleven year old couldn't speak baby.

She rattled on anyway. "When's the right time to give you, like, proper people food? I bet Kenny would know. How are we gonna find you clothes when you start to need them? Rebecca would probably know how to make some makeshift ones. Do I teach you to talk or do you, like, know as you get older? Luke would probably know that one. Or maybe Katjaa. Duck talked a lot, did she teach him that? What about hunting and survival. Lee would know when I should teach you how to use a gun." Clem sighed, looking down at the ground. "I guess I should focus on getting food before worrying about this. Sorry you don't have any toys to play with AJ. If I find, like, a doll or something, I'll let you know."p

Clem laughed, her breath rebounding in the icy air. "First thing tomorrow, I'll hunt. This fire we have going, well tomorrow we'll have something over it. I promise. Maybe if I could find water and some canned food or something, I could mix them together and put that in your formula bottle. I hope you like that." Clem muttered. She stood up and checked on AJ. He was fast asleep. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't bore you. This is grown-up stuff that I need to worry about, not you. Night AJ." She sat back down near the fire.

Pulling off her backpack, she pulled out the ripped of photo of Lee. Clementine sometimes wished she could go back in time. But really, when she thought about it, how far would she go? Back when all the cabin group was alive? She was with Christa and Omid? Lee? Her parents? Before the apocalypse even happened? It was stupid. All she knew is that the past was the past, and she and AJ had to keep moving forward. Why or for who, she didn't know. The list of dead was too long to dedicate anymore.

"Mom and Dad used to tell me to say goodnight to grandpa every night, even though he died when I was six." Clem said to sleeping AJ. "I don't do that anymore. I should. I'll teach you who Rebecca and Alvin were, and then every night you can say goodnight to them." Clem took a deep breath.

"Goodnight grandpa. Goodnight mom and dad. Shawn Greene, Sandra, Mark, Doug, Lilly maybe, Katjaa, Duck, Larry - even though you were really mean - Ben, Carley, Chuck, Omid, Sam the dog - uh, AJ, he's a dog I had to kill. I don't go around killing dogs. This one wasn't very nice. My friend Luke described him as the 'magical asshole dog' - Pete, Matthew, Walter, Nick, Sarita, Alvin - that's your daddy AJ - and Rebecca -your mommy - Reggie, Christa maybe, Carlos, Sarah, Luke, Kenny and probably countless others I can't remember. And goodnight, Lee." She sniffed, wiping a tear and looking up to the dark starry night sky. "That's a lot of people, AJ, I think we shouldn't do that every night."

There was silence for a while, and Clem even got a couple of hours sleep in. She awoke in an uncomfortable position against a mesh of wiring and a burnt out fire. Reaching for her lighter, she got up to check on AJ. "Hey," she whispered. He was still asleep.

She was about to check if he needed a change, when suddenly, "hey! You there!" A gruff voice cried out.

"Ah!" Screamed Clem, shocked. She quickly reached for her gun. "Leave us alone. If this is your spot, just wait till daylight and we'll be on our way. We don't want any trouble." She insisted, dropping her lighter.

A torch waved around in her general area. "We? I only see the one of you,"

"I've got a baby here, and he's sleeping, so please leave us." She pleaded.

"A baby?" You could hear the shock in the voice, which was male. "You've got to be kidding me, a baby?" Footsteps approached them. "Hey, you're a little young to be a mother, aren't you? Where's the rest of your group?"

"It's just me and AJ, they're all dead. Please, what do you want? We have nothing but the clothes on our backs I swear." She stifled a sob. "Do what you want with me but don't hurt AJ,"

As if on cue, AJ woke up and began to cry. "Shoot," whispered Clementine. She wanted to calm him - not only was his crying bad, but a beacon for walkers - but she had to keep her gun up.

The shadow approached closer, till a face appeared. It was a tall man with dark hair and eyes. His jacket was tatty but the rest of him was in fairly good shape, and he didn't appear to be holding a gun to Clem and AJ.

"Little girl, put the gun down and comfort that boy, I ain't gonna hurt ya, and I sure ain't gonna hurt a baby." Clementine hesitated for a moment, but lowered her gun and scooped up AJ, bouncing him back to sleep.

"That's better, you're a natural." Said the man. "What's your name, darlin'?"

"What's yours?" She snapped back venomously.

"Jai, and all I wanted was to see if there were any food to catch out here. Didn't mean to intrude, now can I learn your name sweetie?"

She huffed. "My name is Clementine, and I don't appreciate being called those silly pet names," she was still cradling Alvin Junior protectively in her arms.

"Well, Clementine, I've got a place not far from here. Now, it's nothing special, but we have food and water. Might even find some baby food for little - what is it, AJ? - here. Surely you all must be starvin'"

The offer was too good. Food and rest away from the wilderness. But she's been through this. Clementine had been through the group thing twice now. A third time might break her. "No. No Id rather risk my chances, thanks. Groups are trouble,"

"Risk your chances, sure, but what about the baby? Surely you don't wanna risk his." Jai reasoned. "At least let us get a meal in you two, and if you really don't want to say we'll send you off in the morning with a bag of supplies for you and AJ. C'mon, Clementine." Jas was approaching even closer, almost right up against the wiring.

Clem looked down at AJ. "What do you think Alvie? Should we check this place out?" The poor baby was still half asleep, but the ruckus was keeping him awake. He grizzled quietly. Looking up, she scowled at AJ. "Fine, tonight, then we'll leave. Groups are never good. Groups die. Groups leave you alone. At least the dead don't screw with you,"

Tentatively, Jai opened the Hen coop gate. "We're not a group, not really, more of a...community."

Clem looked up, suddenly daring to be hopeful. "Like, like wellington?" She stammered.

Jai shook his head, grinning contently. "Nah, not like Wellington. We're not a dictatorship, we don't run things a certain way, we just keep together and help those who need it. We do the _human_ thing. Folks seem to have forgotten what that is. We got a couple of new people here the other day. We do usually get families, or remains of families, once or twice a week. A kid with a baby - Hell, a _baby, _or a kid without an adult - that's new. I'd like to get to know you and AJ, Clementine, or at least give you a place for the night. Even though all I can really muster up is a box with blankets for AJ and a wooden pallet with a pillow and blanket for you." He was tall, towering over Clem, breath rebounding in the air. The sun was going to rise soon, she had to make a decision.

"I hope you mommy and daddy would be okay with this," Clem whispered to AJ. Looking up at Jai, she asked, "is there a woman named Christa with you?"

**Should I continue this rubbish? And if I do, yes or no to Christa being there? Thanks for reading. No hate please.**


	2. The Ranch

**Way back when pt. 2**

**Okay because I realLY want to see Christa again, but don't want to make it cheesy, I may or may not be bringing her back...hm...hehe. ANOTHER CHAPTER AFTER THIS. **

_"I hope you mommy and daddy would be okay with this," Clem whispered to AJ. Looking up at Jai, she asked, "is there a woman named Christa with you?" _

Frowning, Jai looked up thoughtfully. "Christa? I think so."

"Really!" She beamed. "Uh, tall, dark hair and skin, a bit snappy?"

His face fell. "No, sorry kid. Must be a different woman with the same name,"

"Oh," she sighed, looking down at AJ. "Well, I'll come with you. For AJ. But only if you give me your gun. Just till we get where we're going,"

Jai looked hesitant, but he slowly passed his gun to her. She tucked it in her back pocket and nodded for him to lead the way. He began to walk, footsteps crunching in the snow, as they heard the stray groans of walkers.

"Nothing to worry about. Just a few stragglers. Shouldn't come close. If they did...you'd give me my gun back, right?" Jai asked hesitantly.

_Of course I would_, thought Clem, but she couldn't show an ounce of kindness. No room for vulnerability when she had AJ to look out for, so she just shot him a look and motioned for Jai to keep walking.

They didn't walk far, or for long. Eventually, Clem's mind had been going wild with what to expect, or rather, what she could hope for. And what she couldn't.

In the end, it wasn't another hardware store, or a ski lodge. It wasn't a half-built house or a cabin in the woods, a farm or dairy or motor inn. It was a ranch. Nothing big, like Hershel's farm or the St. John Dairy, but enough that the coop she'd stayed in had now made sense in its positioning. Maybe it wasn't for Hens after all.

Where a garage had once been, there were people meshed together, huddled with blankets and pillows and sleeping bags. "Theres a barn too. All huddled together. Not the comfiest thing in the world, but were piled high with canned food and water. In the summers we actually grow veg. Our livestock died out long ago, but we get by. Mech's filled up with all that. House is secure, and everything's locked down at night to be safe from stragglers. I'll show you inside the barn and then get you a can of soup and see if I can find some baby food or formula for the little one here."

Clem still felt suspicious, but she was hungry, tired, oh so very hungry and tired. AJ probably felt worse. She had no choice but to fight back tears as she thanked Jai for his kindness.

"No problem, sweet pea," he stopped himself. "Sorry, I meant Clementine. Forgot you didn't like that kind of thing. Be right back,"

She stopped him. "I want to know right away if there is any kind of catch. Okay? Like, you're not cannibals, or slave workers that won't let me escape now I'm here, or something are you?"

Jai laughed. "Where'd your imagination get that from?"

Clem looked down at the ground. After a second's silence, Jai sighed, "not your imagination, huh, kid?" She shook her head. He held out his flashlight. "Tell you what, we're here now. I'll trade my gun for this torch, huh?" Jai coaxed. Holding out his gun, Clem swapped and headed for the barn.

As Clementine walked in, she was reminded of that first night on Hershel's farm in the barn with Lee. The air had smelt disgusting. Like _doo-dee_, she had said. Clem was surprised Lee didn't say it had smelt like shit. When she stepped in this time, it didn't smell half as bad. Then again, _doo-dee_ wasn't as bad as living rotten flesh wandering around. There were at least two, maybe three hundred people all crammed together. Not to the point of personal space being breached, but close enough that - if someone paid attention and you didn't whisper - eavesdropping wasn't tricky to do.

Taking the bundled up sleeping bag and pillow - as well as a box and a blanket of AJ - Jai had given her, she sat her and AJ down in the least crowded spot. It didn't look much like a barn anymore, all the hay and equipment had been cleared out.

Just as she was settling AJ into the blanket-padded box, a loud voice next to her said, "oh my God! A baby! It's a baby! Hey! Alfie! Look! It's a baby! Like an actual real life baby!" It was a pale girl with jet black hair and a faint British accent.

Another boy the other side of the girl looked over, a boy with fair skin and honey coloured hair wearing cracked glasses peered at Clem and AJ. "Oh wow, that's..." He looked up at Clementine. "You must be new, I'm Alfie, this is my sister,"

"Lily," she said. "Call me Lil and I will start throwing punches."

"Lily!" Snapped Alfie.

"Lilly?" Repeated Clem.

"Yeah, what? It's a common enough name. Though mine is a single 'l', not double. Who are you? Who's the baby?" She pointed a finger at Alvin. Lily only looked around eighteen, whereas her brother looked much older.

"Uh, I'm Clementine. This is AJ. His parents...well, they're with nearly everyone's parents." She explained. AJ began to cry. "Oh no," she sounded exasperated, scooping AJ up. "Ssh, Alvie. I know you're tired and hungry, but Jai is going to bring us food real soon, I promise,"

"Woah, a baby!" Another kid the other side of Clementine gasped. He was small with dark skin, possibly only eight or nine. "That's awesome. Alvie, did you say?" He asked.

"He's AJ," she affirmed, bouncing him.

"I'm Micky," introduced the kid, putting out his hand. Clementine shook it tentatively. "I know," Micky said. "It's weird. I don't quite get the shaking hands thing, but dad always said it was polite when you first meet someone. Cool hat."

"Thanks," grinned Clem. "My dad gave it to me way back when. I'm Clementine,"

AJ was still crying as Jai approached. "Sounds like someone's cranky," he sympathised. He gave Clem a can of opened stew and a plastic spoon. "I managed to dig out some milk for AJ, warmed it over a fire," he handed her a plastic bottle. Placing down her own tin - she could eat later - she quickly forced the nib to AJ's mouth. It took him a moment to respond, but he quickly latched onto the tip and suckled eagerly.

"There you go," she cooed.

Looking up, Clem noticed Lily staring wistfully at her can. "It's mine," hissed Clem.

Lily raised her hands up in surrender. "Wasn't going to try and steal it, kid. I've had my can tonight. I was just thinking, you look awful starved. Want me to feed the baby whilst you eat your own food?"

Clem contemplated it, but decided against it, holding AJ protectively against her chest. "I'm good, thanks," when AJ finally finished the bottle - not letting a single drop go to waste - she put him back in his makeshift crib and began to eat.

"So," began Micky. "You here long term, or for the night?"

"Night." Grumbled Clementine.

"That's what they all say," continued Alfie. "Lily and I said it too. You'll realise I'm the morning when they hand you that bag it's safer here. High in numbers with a large food and meds supply,"

Clem rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh. Not me. Groups sucks."

"This isn't a group," Lily insisted. "It's a community,"

"They're no better." Retorted Clementine. "You're all either going to die by one of you getting infected then infecting the rest-" _like Crawford_ "-breaking off into smaller groups and dying that way-" _like with the cabin crew and her first group_ "-or Jai and whoever else is running this joint is going to start to become mad with power. Won't let you leave, force you to work day in and out, earn your keep. Kill the 'weak'-" she made air quotes "-or the 'incompetent'" _like Carver's camp_. "Well, I'm not sticking around for that. I'd rather take my free give away and get the Hell out of here."

There was silence. "Well, aren't you a buzzkill." Lily huffed.

A new voice came into the barn after the 'lamps' (torches cello-taped everywhere) shut off one by one. "Time to rest up for those of you working your shift tomorrow,"

Clem laid down onto her pillow. "See, what did I tell you. Already we have bedtime and forced labour,"

"It's not forced labour," Alfie insisted. "Volunteering. Anyone who doesn't want to help hunt or keep guard or basically work doesn't have to. Sure, it makes you more credible to the community, and you get a bit of extra rations if you do, but you're still cared for if you don't. This isn't a bad place, Clementine. Stop thinking it is."

_It's my responsibility to think it is,_ Clem thought, _with AJ here, I need to be wary. 24/7_.

A couple of hours of sleep later, and Clem awoke to nearly-sunlight. She guessed the time to be around five in the morning.

Instantly, she checked AJ. Big mistake. Now she was up, she realised just how badly she had to pee. "Shoot," she whispered, heading out of the barn and into the bushes. On her return, she could hear a groaning. "Shit, walkers." This place wasn't going down Carver's route, but Crawford's. She had to get to AJ and get the Hell out of there.

"Not a walker," she heard from below. "Just a sick person needing a little help,"

Flicking on the flashlight Jai had given her, she looked down. On the floor near the door of the barn was woman and man, roughly thirty, looking less than peachy. Especially the lady.

"Hello, hello there, little girl? You're new. Thank God, a new face. You gotta help us," he pleaded. "I'm Cam, this here my wife Ashley. She's got a wound, a real infection on her arm."

'An infection?" Clem stuttered.

"Not that kind of infection. She's really ill, and if we don't look after her soon then yes, it _will_ be that kind of infection."

"Cam Takluah, don't you dare say those kinds of things." Swatted the blonde lady lying meekly on the floor.

"Sorry honey," he cooed. "Please, she needs medicine, as well as stitches. Help us, please,"

"I...I think you should report this to Jai in the morning." Clem stammered.

"We...we've tried," croaked the lady, Ashley. "Jai, Lena, Alex, all of them. No one's listening. The other garage is their infirmary, stocked high with meds and other sick people. Apparently I'm not sick enough. How sick do they want me to be? Sick enough I'm one of those rotting unholy things making the rest of the people here sick? You gotta help fix me up, please, young lady. Just...get some medicine. Co-dydramol, or oxy, or morphine, or even just antibiotics. Get something for crying out loud. I need something to stitch this up, too. Please, I'll repay you somehow, I swear."

Clem wanted to say no, she really did. But she couldn't. This woman needed help, and clearly Jai wasn't providing it. She sighed. "If you hear a baby crying, his name is AJ, you take care of him till he falls back asleep, you understand? If I find out you didn't, an infection is going to be the least of your worries. I'll be right back." She sighed, sneaking off.

_How do I always get myself into this?_ She thought desperately, remembering the night in the shed. She searched out the garage Jai _hadn't_ pointed out to her and cracked open the door a little.

Inside, Clem saw at least fifty people sleeping on mattresses. Gaping wounds making a massive dent in their body mostly. Others were just plain sick. There were also at least twelve doctors and nurses patrolling. There was no way they were going to give up meds on their own will; Clementine had to distract them.

"So Joe, how's Mel doing?" One of the nurses asked.

"Getting better, May. Baby should be ready to come out any day now,"

"Speaking of babies, did you hear? Jai found a kid out in the woods with a baby. When I say kid, I don't mean an eighteen year old or someone who could of actually been a parent, I mean am eleven year old girl."

"Jesus Lucy," Joe, presumably, sighed.

Another doctor huffed. "Everyone here is gonna recover in a few days, weeks at most. No ones in real danger, I'm almost hoping the bell is gonna ring for a random spot check just for something to do."

"Don't say that," May warned. "You've jinxed it. It's gonna ring now,"

_The bell_. That must be what the leaders here use to draw out the others. Clem grinned to herself, reminded of Molly using the bell towers to draw walkers around Savannah. She looked around for a bit, till she came across a long red rope; attached to it - a large, rusting bell.

She pulled, and Clem could hear the groans and 'Goddamn it, I told you you'd jinxed it' coming from the infirmary, before they hastily ran out.

"Now the hard part," she whispered, sneaking in.

_Okay, so I don't have much time. Where would they keep medical supplies? _Clem weaved in and out of sickbeds, looking for a tool box or something that would hold meds. Eventually, she came across a locked cabinet.

Taking out her screwdriver, Clementine shrugged. "They'd better be in here," she said. She began to unscrew the lock. Inside she found wire, bandages, peroxide, a needle, and an unbelievable amount of meds. The temptation to take them all for herself was overwhelming, but she knew it would just end up being suspicious. Instead, she restrained herself, taking some painkillers and antibiotics.

"Fucking pranksters" she heard from outside. Quickly reassembling the lock, Clem hid under a table and waited for the doctors and nurses to enter. They were so busy ranting about the fake bell ringing to notice the door open, or Clementine dart out of it.

"You got a gag for your wife?"

"Check"

"Okay, I'm doing this."

"Kid,"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"...hand me the peroxide. This is gonna suck."

Come daylight, Clem went to take off, till Jai pulled her up.

"Hi, I was wondering if me and AJ could get that bag no-" Clem began.

"I know it was you." Jai stated.

"W-what?"

"I know you took those meds. I know you helped Ashley. Her wound didn't fix itself, you know." Jai deadpanned.

Clem contemplated lying, saying it wasn't her, but she needed that bag. "I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry. I just had to help,her, I-"

"It's okay," Jai promised. "As long as it doesn't happen again."

"I'm leaving I, swear,"

"About that, I was wondering-"

"NEWCOMERS!" A voice shouted. Instantly, Clem whipped her head around and looked intently. Hoping. Always hoping.

**Another chapter soon, I swear. **


	3. The Fall

**Way back when pt. 3 - the finale. **

**Two or three people don't want Christa back, and to be honest while I do want her back I was never a huge Christa fan either (never disliked her, just preferred others, like Omid) but I'm going with the majority. If you don't want her back, just stop at chapter two or read anyway. If you really want I could write an AU where it isn't her. I might do that later/tomorrow. **

**MAJOR SPOILERS INCOMING, ESPECIALLY FOR SEASON 2 EPISODE 5. **

**I didn't actually choose to leave Jane, I went with her, because I'd already guessed AJ was okay. Seeing Kenny's endings, I'm glad I went with Jane, and I wish I'd gone with Kenny. Oh gosh, the feels. Irl, I couldn't leave Clem alone with the baby. This is just a fic. **

_"NEWCOMERS!" A voice shouted. Instantly, Clem whipped her head around and looked intently. Hoping. Always hoping. _

When she saw it, her_, them_, Christa couldn't believe her eyes.

"Clementine?" She whispered, daring to hope. Was that- was that a baby in her arms? She looked strong. Too small to be this damaged. She didn't mean emotional, either. There was a massive mesh of stitches on her arm, a baby in her arms - both her and the baby covered in dark, dried blood - a gash on her face accompanied by a scowl. She'd acquired a new jacket, like a skiing one, light blue, puffy - with rainbow stripes on it.

Still, despite how hard she looked, Clementine's face lit up as if it were Christmas when she saw her. "CHRISTA!" She exclaimed. Running forward, Christa had already opened her arms. Clem hugged her instantly.

"Oh it is so good to see you, Clementine. I thought I'd never..." Christa sighed, letting Clem go.

"Who's this?" Clem asked, nodding to the man next to her.

"I'm Omar," he introduced, holding his hand out to shake. Clem took it timidly. "Christa and I have been surviving together for a while,"

"That group who took me, well, they'd taken others too. Omar here, as well as these others - Roman, Leland - people they were prepared to auction in some sick game. Not sure if it was just slave labour or cannibalism, but we had to get out. Before we could escape, we were passing a river when some gruff guy in a massive coat and crazy brown hair jumped us. Killed every single one of them," she sighed.

"Except me and Christa," Omar beamed.

"Wish my story wasn't that complicated," Clem uttered as the baby grizzled in her arms.

"Yeah, about...that...?" Christa nodded to the baby. "You didn't call it after-"

"-No! Certainly not, I...this is different. I didn't just find AJ..." Clem whispered.

"Well, before you go thinking about leaving, why don't you talk it over with your friends here, Clementine. Take them back to the barn before you make up your mind," Jai interjected.

"I'll stay for a few more hours, but I'm leaving still. Groups are bad. Oh, and so are _communities_, before you correct me." Clem deadpanned, turning around. "I'll show you and Omid to the barn,"

"It's Omar,"

Clem gasped, and Christa could see the anger at her mistake on Clementine's face. "It's okay Clementine," Christa promised. It wasn't, but it was too.

"Sorry, Omar. This way."

"So why don't you want to stay then, Clem?" Asked a chipper Omar. Christa knew Clem could see the resemblance in personality with Omid and Omar. Even their names, for Pete's sake. She'd have to let her know it wasn't like that, not really. Not with Omar. Not with anyone but Omid.

"Groups are bad, groups are trouble. They either all die out eventually, or turn on each other. Or both. Like with Lee, right Christa? Or this new group I was wi...Or a leader becomes a dictator, like with Carver's camp. I don't fancy forced labour, risking being murdered and having no chance of escape. Or they all become cannibals, like at the St. John's. It's better alone, or with only two or three people."

Christa gasped, walking faster so she was next to Clementine. "Cannibals? Dictatorship? What on earth has happened?"

Sighing, Clem bounced the baby - AJ, was it? - in her arms. "It's a long, long, long, story."

"Want to give me a hint?" Christa put on her best mothering tone.

Clementine sighed. "It involves a cabin, a doctor and his daughter, friends, enemies, Kenny - yes the Kenny who apparently didn't die saving you - a pregnant woman who's baby's dad may or may not be an evil dictator asshole. We went by the river you were attacked in, you know. Sure sounds like him. Don't forget a war site, a girl with short hair and a death wish, AJ here and a lot of death. And I mean _a lot_ of it."

"Jesus," Omar exclaimed. "Maybe we did have it easier,"

When sat in the barn, it wasn't nearly as crowded as the night before, Clem had noticed. Alfie, Micky and Lily were gone, probably all doing labour duties. Clem placed AJ in his crib before explaining.

It took a while, but she eventually finished. "So then I had no choice, I...I had to shoot Kenny." A tear or two escaped her eyes. "But, but when I found out Jane had hidden AJ, like, she'd _planned_ for this to go down, I couldn't forgive her. So I took AJ and left. Wandered for days, till we found here. Or rather, here found us. Groups spell trouble. They'll give anyone who wants to leave a bag of supplies, so I'm risking it. Better than seeing it all happen again."

Christa was near tears too; Omar didn't look as chipper either. "Oh Clementine, honey, I'm so sorry...I..." She looked at Omar and sighed. "Just let us rest up here tonight, in the morning, I'll leave with you. I don't know what Omar wants to do, but just hold up another night and then we'll go."

Clementine sniffed, wiping tears. "Okay, I'll wait. If we help out, we might get extras so I hear, you know. All the stuff we can get, you know,"

"You've always had your wits about you Clementine. Well, most of the time," it was meant as a joke, but Clem still hung her head.

"So..." Omar pondered. "What's there to help out with?"

Clementine went to the infirmary, leaving Christa with AJ in the barn. Omar went out to hunt for rabbit pelts with a small group.

"Uh, Clementine is it?" A new face said, a tall lady dressed in scrubs. They'd given Clem some scrubs to put over her clothes, too, but the smallest size they had was still far too big; Clem had hitched up the sleeves and trousers, and wore the useless surgical mask like a necklace it was so big.

Clem nodded. "Right, well, couldn't check patient seven's wounds, could you? I think the stitches are about ready to come out. I'm just going to the Mech. To get some more peroxide, you can manage alone, right?"

Clementine nodded. The lady walked out, so Clem strayed to the patient lying on a mattress. The stitching looked okay, but the wound was nearly healed, enough that without the stitches she could take them out and let nature do the rest.

Christa hadn't really showed her how to take _out_ stitches, so Clem just dabbed the wound with what was left of the peroxide, pulled, and hoped for the best.

The sound of the door creaking distracted her, she couldn't have known. When Clementine turned back, the man was groaning, and not in pain either.

"Ah!" She screamed. Her tools...they were in her backpack in the barn! The man, now a walker, began to drag itself over to Clem as it moaned.

She kicked it's head, shoving it back. Quickly, Clem got to her feet. There was nothing in there that could be used as a weapon that wasn't safely locked away in the cabinet. Surely they had things on hand in an infirmary _full_ of dying people incase this happened?

Apparently not.

The walker grabbed hold of Clementine's ankle, pulling her back down. She'd have to do this the old fashioned way.

She began to kick its head, but without much success. It was when she heard a loud gasp that she knew the lady was back.

"Get me a weapon!" Clementine yelled. "Now!"

The lady quickly ran to the cabinet and pulled out a small key. She began to unlock the assembly on the door. "Hurry up!" Clementine yelled.

Suddenly, the lady handed her a pair of surgical scissors. Not much, but better than nothing. "Step on its back!" Clem ordered, the lady did. A bell was ringing, but not like the one she had rung last night. No, this was different. She ignored it for now though. Investigate when immediate danger is out the way.

As the walker was trapped beneath the lady's foot, Clem headed for its neck, stabbing once, twice, three times, before stomping on its head for good measure.

For a moment there was silence, a part from the bell. "Holy crap kid, are you okay?"

Quickly, Clem checked herself over. "I'm not bitten," she snapped sourly. "Why don't you have weapons out in case something like that happens! At least tie the man to a post or something. At least an alarm. Jeez."

"We do," the lady said. "We do have an alarm. That's what the bell is for, I-"

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and there were two people - a red headed lady and a brunette man - that burst in. "Walkers, where?" They snapped quickly. There were guns and hacksaws in their hands.

"The girl took care of it, Lena, Alex," addressed the lady.

Their eyes quickly scanned over the room before they lowered their weapons. "Thanks, Wendy. Anyone bit?" They both shook their heads.

"sorry about that little girl," said the man, Alex. "It's not a regular occurrence, but it happens."

"For your bravery, please except some extra meds and food tonight." Clementine grinned, thanking them for their kindness. They were going to be okay. Christa and AJ and Clementine were going to be okay.

"It's way more crowded in here than before," Omar commented later that night.

"Tends to be," Lily said to him. "Damn Clementine, you and AJ have a lot of food." Christa was feeding AJ his bottle, another waiting for him when he was done, and Clementine had three cans of food in front of her. She would let AJ eat till he was full, but she had to save the other two cans. If she wasn't greedy, that could mean two whole nights worth of meals. Or enough food for two hungry people.

Jai had given her her bag of supplies, as well as one for Christa and Omar, even if he hadn't decided if he was staying or going.

"So you found some friends here?" Pondered Christa, smiling down contently at AJ.

"Uh, more like acquaintances." Clem shrugged.

"C'mon now, don't be like that Clem," said Micky.

"Buzzkill," joked Alfie. Suddenly, they heard a bell ring.

"Another?" Groaned Clementine.

"Sounds like a random check. All citizens to the patio." Said Alfie.

"They all sound the same, how do you know?" Asked Christa.

"You get used to them here. Let's go."

So they headed outside, Clementine hung onto hers and Christa's bags, as well as her weaponry. Omar held onto his own.

"Let me take that Clem," Christa offered, taking her own kit bag.

Once everyone, around 1500 people, had gathered Jai, Lena and Alex all gathered high up on a stack of hay above everyone else.

"Citizens, there's been a few unwanted visitors in this ranch. Tomorrow, a dozen men plan to take this place by force. They are few, we are many. We fight, we survive."

"Which is code for: protect us as we slowly begin to dictate you," whispered Clementine to Christa.

"You're right,my don't like this either. We sleep, we stick it out, then we leave. Let this place screw itself over without us and Alvin Junior," so, after rants and talks and discussions, everyone headed back to their sleeping areas.

"We don't even tell them we're going, we have our bags. We leave at first light."

Clementine woke to the sound of groaning and gunfire.

Bandits were outside, trying to shoot their way through the 'community' to the Mech. Others with firing back. There were certainly more than the dozen predicted bandits, that's for sure. It was a thick horde of gunfire that Clem didn't want to get caught up in the middle of, in every sense of the phrase.

"Christa," she whispered. "Christa!"

"Right here Clementine," Christa held AJ in her arms. "Omar's gone to the Mech, where they keep their supplies. We grab what we can and leave."

Clem looked horrified. "But- but that's stealing!"

Christa sighed, looking down at AJ. "Normally, I'd agree, but this place is going to fall anyway. No use letting good supplies go to waste, not when we could use them. We just head over to Omar, take whatever we can carry and sneak out the back. You with me, Clem?"

Clementine sighed and looked at AJ. She hoped Rebecca wasn't frowning at her now, saying it was the wrong thing to do. To be honest, many of the people she'd known would disagree with taking this stuff - Lee, Ben, Carley, Lilly, Nick, Sarah - and others would tell her to do it no hesitation - Kenny, Jane, Carlos, Katjaa - and others who were just as morally unsure as her, no matter what the situation.

She needed to. For AJ.

"Im with you." Clementine promised.

"Then let's go!" They snuck out the back, past the gunfire, and into the mech.

"Do you hear groaning?" Clem asked, looking around.

"Fuck!" Christa exclaimed.

"What?" Clem asked.

"Everyone's firing, but not everyone is aiming for the head. They're literally mass producing walkers. This place is fucked." Christa noted, looking around. "We've gotta move,"

Omar was there, arms raised, as a group of kids had him at gunpoint.

"You really think Jai, Alex and Lena didn't already think of people coming in here, stealing shit and taking off?" Snapped Alfie. "We were put on guard, asshole."

"Lily, Alfie, Micky!" Clem cried. "You don't have to do this. Look at this place, it's gone to shit. People fighting people fighting walkers? It's never going to work. Just let us go,"

Lily shook her head. "Jai, Alex, Lena...They're all great leaders. We can't survive without them! We need this!"

"And we need this!" Clem negotiated. "Jai, Alex, Lena, they've probably taken off and left everyone to die. Come with us! Take what you can carry and leave with us, whilst we still have a fighting chance."

Alfie and Lily glanced at each other. "I thought you didn't like groups. You, the baby, the other two, Alfie, Lily and me, that's seven. To me, that's a group." Micky said warily, still waving a gun at them.

"It's better than this! Every single _second_ we argue is another second we're closer to death if you don't listen to us!" Clementine pleaded.

One final glance at one another was all it took for Alfie and Lily to lower their guns, open their backpacks and start shovelling what they could from the pile into them. Micky quickly joined them.

Clem opened her own backpack and scooped what she could. So did Christa and Omar. "Right, now out through the back!" Not wanting to leave behind anything - even though their packs couldn't physically fit anymore - Clem picked up an apple. For good luck, she decided.

They walked around the mech., but the dead didn't stick to routine. Suddenly, there was a loud scream, followed by Lily screaming "ALFIE! ALFIE! NO!" When Clem turned around, A walker had grapped Alfie's ankle, and was slipping away to be devoured into the hoard. Quickly, nodded to Alfie.

"DO THE RIGHT THING LILY - AGH!" He got devoured, but not before he threw her backpack of supplies to her sister, and she used a bullet to end his suffering.

"Come on, Lily, we have to go!" Micky insisted. Lily was crying, hard, but she simply picked up Alfie's pack and ran. Ran fast. Ran far, far away from the ranch. Ran till their lungs hurt and vision blurred and limbs ached.

When they stopped, Clem took AJ from Christa. "So where now?" Breathed Omar, staring into the woods. They were far from the ranch's danger now, but close enough to still hear groans of walkers combined with gunfire and screams of the living.

She added another 'goodnight' to her mental list. _Goodnight Alfie_.

Way back when, they used to be a massive group. Way back when, Clementine had the cabin crew. She had Lee. She was innocent and had her family. This wasn't way back when, this was the future, and Clementine had to keep pushing forward. For who, she didn't know. Not anymore. There were too many dead. Not enough living.

Clementine took a bite of her apple. "Now? We walk."


End file.
